LT Sports Roundup: Boys Swim Team Turns Adversity Into Victory

The Lyons Township boys swimming team has overcome some tough blows this season.

Last Friday, the Lions had to deal with an automobile accident, but they remained on track to defeat York on all three levels in Elmhurst.

The varsity won 107-67 to improve to 2-1 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division duals. The junior varsity (123 points) and freshman (140-45) also prevailed.

No one was injured in the rear-end accident on York Road. But with varsity and junior varsity swimmers on that bus, their meets were delayed more than an hour while the freshmen went on and was completed in about 40 minutes.

“Nobody was hurt. With (York coach Dave Davis and Mark Laurich), we ended up having a great time,” LT coach Scott Walker said. “We took advantage of the situation and made it into (a positive). The kids on both teams were fantastic.”

Once they arrived, the Lions dominated. Joe Shannon and Danny McGuinness contributed to four varsity event victories and Brendan Weibel to three.

The incident is just part of a season where the Lions have had several swimmers sidelined by concussions and had two others requiring extended hospital care.
Walker said before the LT swimmers at the accident site could be released, they required clearance from a school administrator, who arrived the site and contacted parents and guardians on a Friday night during winter break.

“We’re dealing a lot o adversity, but the thing is we’re dealing with it and moving forward,” Walker said. “The way we’re starting out and the way we’re going to end, we’re all going to be a lot better off because we’ve dealt with so many variables.”

Winning two individual events each were Shannon in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.68) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.22), McGuinness in the 50 free (23.38) and 100 free (52.31) and Weibel in the 500 free (5:12.81) and 200 individual medley (2:10.43).

Chris Withington (100 backstroke in 1:03.97) and diver Craig Pace (166.05) also prevailed. The Lions swept the 200 medley relay (Withington, Shannon, Pete Perez-Tamayo, Kovas Zygas in 1:49.65), the 200 free relay (Shannon, Peter Dore, Freund, McGuinness in 1:36.51) and 400 free relay (Dore, Weibel, Freund, McGuinness in 3:38.02).

While the meet structure affected split times, Walker said he especially was pleased how the freshmen handled such a quick turnaround among events.

“I was able to say, ‘We do this (kind of turnaround) in practice all of the time.’ We’ll do that for like an hour and a half,” Walker said. “Mentally, they were just going, ‘We do this in practice all of the time. It’s not a big deal,’ and they swam really well.”

One adjustment during the varsity meet was Shannon and Weibel asked Walker separately that they wanted to swap competing in the 200 free and 200 IM. They both ended up posting faster times than the other swimmer had previously.

“They both decided on their own and I’m always for that because that means each kid is swimming what they want to swim. I think we’re going to (keep that switch) now because it makes our lineup a little bit faster,” Walker said.

“The kids are looking much better as a group, as a team and as individuals. I think they’re beginning to realize that the work is going to pay off. They’re very tired, but I also think they know they’re getting in shape.”

On Dec. 27, the Lions (2,591 points) finished fourth of seven teams at the Homewood-Flossmoor Pentathlon.

Weibel (22nd, 342 points) was LT’s top individual point scorer, followed by
McGuinness (30th, 313), Ben Hewett (35th, 283) and David Freund (36th, 281).

Top individual performances were by Weibel (10th in 200 IM, 2:13.15) and McGuinness (17th in 100 free, 53.13).

Fenwick (3,938 points) took first, followed by Neuqua Valley (3,591) and Stagg (3,095).

LT boys bowling

The Lyons Township boys bowling team moved to 10-0 in duals with a 2,801 to 2,775 victory over Plainfield North Jan. 5 at Rolling Lanes in Countryside.

Mike Kcmal had a team-best 609 three-game series for the Lions, followed by Robert Kcmal (602), Marko Micovic and Matt Rivera (522 each) and Kyle Gasteier (505).

Individual high games were Mike Kcmal (226), Robert Kcmal (602), Rivera (201), Gasteier (196) and Micovic (183).

LT girls gymnastics

The Lyons Township girls gymnastics team continues to move toward perfection.

The Lions scored a season-high 140.55 points Saturday to finish fourth at the powerful Lake Forest Invitational after scoring a then season best Jan. 4 in a key 140.35 to 138.15 victory over rival Hinsdale Central in West Suburban Conference Silver Division dual action in La Grange.

The scores helped the Lions secure the No. 1 seed for the Hinsdale Central Sectional Feb. 6. Sectional champions automatically advance to the eight-team state meet Feb. 17-18 at Palatine High School.
 
LT freshman Kelsy Kurfirst had a strong meet at Lake Forest and tied for fifth in all-around (37.475). She was fourth on floor exercise (9.55), eighth on vault (9.65), ninth on uneven bars (9.2) and 10th on balance beam (9.075).

Junior Maren Craig was 12th on beam (9.025) and tied for 15th in all-around (34.975), freshman Kelly Ryser tied for 13th on uneven bars (8.45) and senior Kalen Iffert tied for 17th on floor (9.05).

Defending state champion Carmel won with 153.725 points, believed to be the highest team score in the history of IHSA gymnastics. Prairie Ridge co-op (146.225) and Lake Forest (145.10) were second and third.

The victory over Hinsdale Central helped the Lions (3-1 in Silver) all but secure at least second in the regular-season Silver standings behind Glenbard West. The Silver Meet is Jan. 27 at Downers Grove North.

Kurfirst was second in all-around (37.15) in Hinsdale Central’s Erin Morgan (37.45). Kurfirst won vault (9.5) and uneven bars (9.3) was second on beam (9.45) and third on floor (8.9).

Senior Ali Stuck was third on vault (8.9). Craig was fourth in all-around (34.45) and uneven bars (8.75), Ryser was fourth on beam (8.9) and Craig and Iffert shared fourth on floor (8.8).